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Realizing One Richmond: A Roadmap for Organizational Change

Mayor Levar M. Stoney

City of Richmond

November 27, 2017

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Acknowledgments:

This document was produced on behalf of Mayor Stoney by Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Thad Williamson in the Mayor’s Office, working in close collaboration with Chief Administrative Officer Selena Cuffee-Glenn and the executive leadership team of the City of Richmond. Mayor Stoney further thanks all City employees who participated in providing input for the VCU Performance Review, or who attended a “Brown Bag Lunch” with the Mayor to provide further input on how to improve City government and the work of each agency. Special thanks also for the dedicated members of the Cross Functional Team who committed time and expertise to help develop detailed recommendations to address organization-wide issues with communications and processes.

Mayor Stoney also thanks again the VCU Performance Management Group under the direction of James Burke for providing a cross-cutting view of key organizational challenges facing the City of Richmond in the May 2017 Performance Review. This document represents an important first step in a long-term process of addressing those critical challenges.

Document Overview

Part One: Mission and Overview

1. Mayor’s Mission Statement 2. Mayor Stoney’s One Richmond vision: understanding where we need to go 3. Overview of Richmond City government: understanding where we are 4. Theory of Change: a strategy for getting from where to we are to where we need to be

a. Realizing One Richmond requires improving the functioning of City government (all agencies)

b. Improving the functioning of all agencies requires attention to and strategic investment in core organizational processes (talent development, buying and paying for goods and services, communications)

Part Two: Detailed Strategic Plan for Change

1. Overarching Goals • What has already been accomplished: key first year priorities and accomplishments to

date. 2. Agency and Portfolio-specific Goals

• Portfolio-specific strategic direction and goals 3. Organization-wide Culture Change: Recommendations of the Cross-Functional

Team • Internal and external communication • Internal Services

4. Specific Directives for Change: A Ten Point Action Plan • Developing and investing in organizational management and change capacity • Specific timelines and goals for Stoney Administration, November 1, 2017- March 1,

2018

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CITY OF RICHMOND PERFORMANCE REVIEW RESPONSE:

A ROADMAP FOR ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE AND BUILDING ONE RICHMOND

Part One: Mission and Overview City of Richmond Mission Statement The City of Richmond will be a professional, accountable and compassionate government that works to build One Richmond by providing exceptional services and opportunities for a high quality of life for all citizens. - Mayor Levar M. Stoney Richmond, Virginia is poised for a vibrant period of growth and progress marked by increased economic investment and increased recognition of the City’s remarkable quality-of-life. At the same time, the City of Richmond under Mayor Levar Stoney is committed to bold, proactive action to redress long-standing problems of entrenched poverty, inadequate educational attainment, and large divides in health and well-being. This means facing the past and present honestly, and committing to build One Richmond: a city of opportunity for all. One Richmond requires a city government that functions at a high level of professional excellence. This means both administrative efficiency and thoughtful attention to the needs of all our residents, no matter their economic background or where they live in the City. In his 2016 campaign, Mayor Levar Stoney pledged to conduct a performance review assessing each City agency, as the first step in a comprehensive effort to improve the functioning of City government. The Performance Management Group of the Wilder School of Public Affairs at VCU conducted that assessment in the early months of 2017, releasing its review in May of this year. The review, based largely on interviews with City employees, identified both agency-specific concerns and general organization-wide issues in need of redress. City Hall, the review concluded, should become a “mission-driven organization with leaders who listen and people who cut through red tape, deliver what is needed while staying within appropriate guidelines, and are not hindered by internal constraints, so that they can carry out their duties with speed and with pride.” The review also emphasized the need for a sustained, long-term effort to address these issues, engaging both top leaders and rank-and-file employees. Since that time, the City administration has taken several steps to address the key findings of the report:

• Continued implementation of Mayor Stoney’s First Year Transition Plan, which partly overlapped with Performance Review recommendations. The Transition Plan encompassed both needed internal reforms and process improvements as well as implementation of key policy priorities. Implementation of the plan has been ongoing since February 2017, and all agencies have provided updates on implementation throughout the calendar year. Key first-year accomplishments are detailed below.

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• All agencies were required to submit specific responses to recommendations made by the VCU Performance Review.

• All agencies completed a strategic overview document according to a common template listing key functions, priorities, and future plans.

• Formation of a Cross-Functional Team led by the Mayor’s Office involving employees from multiple departments to make recommendations on communication issues across agencies and with the general public. Development of such a team was a major recommendation of the VCU Performance Review. A summary of these recommendations is detailed below.

• Mayor Stoney has undertaken personal visits to City agencies, beginning in July 2017 and ongoing, to hear firsthand agency needs and the perspectives of rank-and-file employees. Mayor Stoney is committed to visiting each agency once a year through his term of office.

• Mayor Stoney today announces the establishment of a Performance Management and Change unit within City government, reporting directly to the CAO, to drive change and enhanced professionalism throughout City government. Among other responsibilities, this unit will be charged with developing and maintaining a comprehensive, living document articulating priorities, strategies, goals and timelines for the Stoney Administration to advance both major policy goals and long-term organizational change; developing and implementing a tracking system to assist in timely execution of these priorities as well as related organizational improvements; and leading implementation of recommendations of the Cross Functional Team. Mayor Stoney has assigned Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Thad Williamson to work with Chief Administrative Officer Selena Cuffee-Glenn to incubate the initial phase of this unit’s work.

Building One Richmond

Mayor Stoney’s goal is to build One Richmond, a City that provides a high quality of life and educational and economic opportunity to all residents. This is not an easy undertaking in the context of a City with a 25% poverty rate, many needs resulting from years of neglect and disinvestment, and a limited tax base. At the same time, the City’s strong growth trajectory and emerging community consensus that we must proactively tackle difficult problems related to education and poverty create a possibility for change that has not been available for at least a generation.

Substantively, the One Richmond agenda contains four key goals. Each of these challenges must be addressed within an equity framework that makes sure that people and neighborhoods who have too often been left out are included in these efforts on an equal footing.

1. Improving the quality of public education and the lives of children and families in Richmond through a comprehensive approach that supports the needs of children inside and outside the classroom. Richmond needs and deserves schools that all residents and potential residents have confidence in, and our children need and deserve the support of the entire community.

2. Promoting social and economic inclusion of those who have been left out of our City’s prosperity, through inclusive economic development and community wealth building

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strategies that both grow the pie and assure that those who most need employment and business opportunities have both access to opportunities and the support needed to succeed.

3. Promoting public safety in all our neighborhoods, both through policing strategies and long-term investments in crime prevention efforts (including addressing the needs of young people).

4. Providing high-quality public services to all residents while being wise stewards of our City’s infrastructure and natural resources and planning intelligently for continued growth. Richmond residents want the garbage to be picked up on time, they want agencies to be responsive, and they want to see our natural assets such as the James River and the park system protected and enhanced. Growth and usage of our limited space should balance careful planning and the flexibility to respond to catalytic opportunities and investments, especially in challenged neighborhoods.

Successfully building One Richmond requires a well-functioning City government, in which all agencies and portfolios are doing their jobs and doing it well. This in turn leads to the fifth goal of the One Richmond vision:

5. Re-establishing citizen confidence in city government by transforming City Hall into a high-quality public-sector organization with a culture of successful project execution and strong citizen service. This requires creating an organization that can attract and retain quality public servants, at all levels, and assure that those public servants are motivated by a shared mission of building a stronger city.

While the ultimate goal is improving the quality of life for all Richmond residents, especially the young and the vulnerable, a well-functioning City government is the critical means to fulfilling that goal. That’s why Mayor Stoney both commissioned the VCU Performance Review in his first month in office and at the same time provided directives to the Chief Administrative Officer and to individual agencies to begin addressing immediate organizational needs.

Theory of Change: Strengthening the Professionalism of Richmond City Government

Mayor Stoney’s directive to all City employees is simple: No Excuses, No Surprises, Be Professional, Be Excellent!

Consistently realizing excellence will require both the proper mindset and employee culture as well as concrete improvements in processes aimed at strengthening the professionalism of city government.

The assessment of both the VCU Performance Management Group and Mayor Stoney’s administrative team is that while all agencies have significant internal work to do to achieve their goals, primary attention must be given to issues within the Finance and Administration portfolio. Common issues identified include: the protracted time period it takes to hire employees; inadequate performance review process for existing employees; lack of internal job ladders to help strong employees build careers in city government; confusion, delays and inefficiencies in the procurement process; delays in paying vendors; delays in financial reporting; outmoded

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technological systems and inadequate internal communications processes. Challenges in these areas make it much more difficult for directors and project managers in all areas to get work done in a timely, efficient way, and contribute to a culture of delay, inaction, and tolerance for dysfunction.

Consequently, an organizational change strategy must focus on these core functions.

During the period of 2012-2014, the Finance Department of the City of Richmond underwent what can best be described as a catastrophic meltdown following the disastrous implementation of the RAPIDS system for financial reporting. Failure to maintain a dual backup service during the transition process led to severe delays in financial reporting, with the City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) significantly late for three consecutive fiscal years (FY 2014 – FY 2016). The flawed implementation (including inadequate training) also impacted users of RAPIDS. At the same time, the Department of Finance underwent a series of leadership transitions and staff turnovers.

Since mid-2015, conditions in the Department of Finance have stabilized. The FY 2017 CAFR was filed on time in November 2017 for the first time in five years. The staff has been steadily rebuilt and is currently under strong, competent leadership. Since taking office in January 2017, Mayor Stoney’s administration has taken additional steps to strengthen this portfolio and address core functions including human resources, procurement, finance, and information technology.

Significant further action and investment will be required to meet the goal of making the City of Richmond a consistently high-performing public-sector organization. Specifically, the City needs to become an organization in which:

1. Talent is recruited, developed and retained; employees understand how their particular role connects to larger agency and Citywide goals; employees at all levels are held accountable for performance; employees are valued, appreciated, and listened to in an ongoing way; career pathways for growth within the organization are developed to encourage retention and development of internal leadership; and pathways into City employment are provided to residents through training, apprenticeships, and related supports.

2. Goods and services are procured in an efficient, timely way meeting the needs of agencies, promoting minority participation and the employment of City residents, while treating potential vendors fairly and equitably and complying with all relevant laws.

3. Vendors are paid in a timely fashion and financial transactions are recorded and monitored according to best practice professional standards to facilitate timely financial reporting.

4. The City’s communications and technology infrastructure, including the City website, server capacity, and both external and internal-facing communications tools are systematically upgraded according to best practice standards;

5. Strong norms and practices regarding appropriate professional communications internal to City Hall as well as appropriate responses to external constituents are developed, promulgated, and enacted.

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Success in upgrading these core functions will facilitate achievement of the substantive work of City government: providing strong basic services, supporting public education and poverty reduction, promoting public safety, healthy economic and neighborhood development.

In short, the key theme of the Mayor’s effort is enhancing and strengthening the professionalism and performance of city government. This means putting in place a continuous process of raising expectations, improving processes and performance, and rigorously evaluating progress. This document will serve as the initial road map for that effort.

Making Richmond City Government Work Better: A Roadmap and Progress Report

A. Understanding Richmond City Government: A Programmatic Overview

The purpose and function of the City of Richmond is to provide all its residents high quality services, with a particular focus on expanding opportunities for socially and economically excluded residents.

To fulfill this mission, City government is currently organized into six major portfolios:

• Operations (Infrastructure and Basic Services) • Public Safety • Public Education (Richmond Public Schools) • Human Services • Economic and Community Development • Finance and Administration

In addition, the City has three agencies that by design work across portfolios, in addition to having their own specific areas of responsibility: The Mayor’s Office, the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Office of Community Wealth Building.

The work of each of these portfolios is vital to a thriving City. Further, the work of each portfolio and each agency are profoundly interdependent. Challenges or failure in one area has implications for all portfolios.

In basic terms, the work of the Operations portfolio assures that Richmond operates as a 21st century city providing basic services to residents. These include clean and safe water, natural gas service, humane care for stray, injured, abused and relinquished pets, well-maintained roadways along with traffic control and street lights for safe transportation, solid waste removal and recycling services to keep the city clean, and related services needed to improve resident quality of life. The Department of Public Works, Department of Public Utilities, and the Office of

ImproveCoreInternalCityServicesandFunctions ImproveCoreFunctioningofAllAgencies CreateCultureofSuccess,Accomplishment

WhileImprovingQualityofLifeforallResidents

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Animal Care and Control have responsibilities for delivering these services. For many residents, the work of this portfolio is the primary face of Richmond City government. The quality and responsiveness of these services is vital to both citizen satisfaction with local government and to the reputation of the organization as a whole.

The work of the Public Safety portfolio, including Richmond Police Department, Richmond Fire and Emergency Services, the Department of Emergency Communications, and the Office of Emergency Management, also directly impacts every resident in the City. All Richmond residents have a shared interest in controlling crime, identifying and eliminating public safety hazards, and in having a reliable, efficient system of response to emergencies. Employees in this portfolio are often on the front lines of risking personal safety in order to promote public safety and serve residents in immediate injury or life-threatening situations. The revitalization of the City of Richmond over the past ten years is directly related to the fall in violent crime in the City that has taken place since the late 1990s, and hence it is vitally important to the well-being of residents and the City’s future that no reversal of this positive trend take root. Crime patterns however have their roots in socio-economic conditions that are beyond the scope of the police department to address; successfully enhancing public safety and overall quality of life necessarily must involve improvements in education, employment, housing, and overall neighborhood context.

Provision of Public Education is a prime responsibility of government; in Richmond, local government is responsible for funding approximately one-half of the budget of Richmond Public Schools, with school-specific policies set by an elected School Board. The lion’s share of City education funding goes to Richmond Public Schools, which is the largest single item in the City’s annual budget; in addition, the City also funds important activities related to education and supporting children and families through the Human Services portfolio, the Office of Community Wealth Building, and the City’s nondepartmental grants. (Richmond Public Schools reports to the School Board, not to the Mayor, and hence did not participate in the VCU Performance Review.) Mayor Stoney’s primary policy initiative with respect to schools is the development of the RVA Education Compact designed to promote better collaboration and alignment between the Mayor, City Council and School Board, as well as between various City agencies and Richmond Public Schools.

The Human Services portfolio provides important human development services to all residents, while also providing targeted services to residents in immediate need. Key human development services are provided by Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities and by Richmond Public Library. Strong library, parks, and recreational programming promote education, health, community connections, and overall development for all residents, especially low-income residents who rely upon public facilities. This portfolio also meets the needs of residents in crisis or who rely on public support to meet basic needs. Approximately 25% of the City’s population lives in poverty, and nearly 40% of residents benefit from assistance from a federal program (SNAP-ET, TANF, Medicaid) administered by the Department of Social Services. DSS also administers programs for children and families in crisis or need. The Department of Justice Services works with both adults involved in the criminal justice system to promote alternatives to

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incarceration, as well as with youth involved in the justice system. Finally, the portfolio works in alignment with the Richmond City Health District (a state agency) and the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, each of which address health and mental health needs of the community. Since taking office, Mayor Stoney has given this portfolio the strategic directive to work towards internal alignment of its services and programs to support the Citywide goal of moving 1,000 residents a year out of poverty.

Supporting the needs of public safety, public education, and human services requires a growing tax and employment base. The Economic and Community Development portfolio is charged with not only growing the pie, but managing the growth of the City in ways that promote equity while preserving and enhancing the City’s distinctive qualities. Included in this portfolio are the Department of Economic and Community Development, which leads economic recruitment activities but also manages projects and activities related to community development, housing, and tourism; the Department of Planning and Development Review, encompassing both planning activities and permitting and inspection process; and the Office of Minority Business Development, which assures equity in City contracting processes while also promoting business development. While relatively small in staff, this portfolio plays a critical role in identifying opportunities for new business development and for catalyzing new investments in under-resourced neighborhoods. With the City of Richmond continuing on a trajectory of population growth, intelligent planning to best utilize available resources—from land to the James River—will become even more important in coming years.

A recent unique innovation in Richmond City government is the Office of Community Wealth Building, which is charged with leading an integrated community-wide strategy to reduce poverty in the City. Tackling poverty successfully is both a moral imperative and critical to strengthening the City’s financial standing and becoming a AAA bond rated city. The long-term goal is to reduce child poverty by one-half and overall poverty by 40% by the year 2030. Accomplishing this will require establishing and sustaining a collective capacity to move 1,000 adults a year out of poverty in a sustainable fashion. OCWB’s principal mechanism for directly moving families out of poverty is the Center for Workforce Innovation, which combines comprehensive workforce development services with holistic wrap-around support services. CWI stands at the intersection of Economic Development and Human Services; it is designed to be the bridge to assure that new job creation in the City specifically benefits residents who have been historically excluded. The OCWB is also charged with providing comprehensive policy recommendations to the Mayor and CAO concerning poverty reduction, and with leading a community-wide collective impact strategy aimed at the same goal. As such, OCWB regularly works with agencies across all portfolios, with other public-sector agencies (such as RRHA and RPS), and with myriad philanthropic, nonprofit, and community organizations, to develop and implement strategies allowing low-wealth residents to secure or retain employment.

Finally, the work of the Finance and Administration portfolio sustains the work of all the agencies and portfolios noted above. Including in this portfolio are the basic functions of buying goods and services (Procurement Services); paying for goods and services, payroll management, tax collection, debt and investment management, and financial reporting (Finance); hiring,

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compensating and managing employees (Human Resources); communicating both internally and externally (Information Technology); preparing the City’s annual budget and monitoring spending patterns throughout the year (Budget and Strategic Planning). The efficiency and effectiveness of these processes impact the work of all other agencies in City government and ultimately the ability of the City to achieve its strategic goals.

The role of the Mayor’s Office is to support the work of Mayor Stoney, specifically in policy development, communications with stakeholders and the elected bodies, representing the City of Richmond to external stakeholders, and communicating the vision of the City to all residents. By charter the Mayor is responsible for introducing the annual budget, and for appointing the Chief Administrative Officer. The charter stipulates that the elected Mayor is the Chief Executive Officer of the City.

The role of the Chief Administrative Officer is to lead the professional management of the functions of city government and to implement and execute the City’s policy priorities, as established by the Mayor and City Council. The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer supports the work of the CAO in internal communications, communication with City Council, strategic analysis, monitoring, evaluating and assisting the work of all agencies, and implementing policies and projects.

Successfully implementing and sustaining the bold One Richmond agenda of Mayor Stoney will require both that each of these agencies and portfolios perform their own work at a high standard and that the different agencies communicate and collaborate effectively with one another to achieve shared goals, in a spirit of professional respect and shared dedication to serving the residents of the City.

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PART TWO: ROADMAP FOR CHANGE

1. Overarching Goals and 2017 Accomplishments to Date On January 1, 2017, Mayor Stoney announced several high priority goals for his first year in office. Vigorous progress has already been made on these goals, both at the Citywide level and at the agency level.

High-Level Citywide Initiatives

1. Action on the Mayor’s Top Policy Priorities in the FY 2018 Budget

Mayor Stoney’s first budget proposal, announced in March 2017, reflected increased investments in several key priority areas: increased funding for Richmond Public Schools, increased funding for public safety personnel, increased funding for workforce development activities, and increased funding for key basic services, all without raising revenues or imposing significant service cuts in other areas. The final budget adopted by City Council preserved these key priorities while providing additional resources to public safety, made possible by the identification of new revenue sources by the administration subsequent to the Mayor’s budget announcement.

2. Begin Implementation of a First Year Transition Plan

Resulting from the Mayor’s campaign platform, the work of Mayor Stoney’s transition team, and significant input from the CAO and other administrative leaders, a transition plan with specific directives for implementation was provided to all portfolio leaders by the CAO in February 2017. Action steps in support of this plan have been ongoing.

3. Conduct a Performance Review of Every Agency

VCU Performance Management Group completed a performance review encompassing each City agency during the spring months of 2017, with the final report being released in late May 2017. This review plays an integral role in the development of Mayor Stoney’s reform plan for city government.

4. On-time Financial Reporting in FY 2017

Mayor Stoney has committed to assuring the City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) is submitted on-time this year according to state guidelines. The CAFR was submitted ahead of schedule on November 13, 2017, and the Finance Department continues to work to normalize on-time reporting and other best professional practices. This is the first time the CAFR has been submitted on schedule since 2012.

5. Development of the RVA Education Compact

The Mayor’s Office and City Administration worked collaboratively with City Council, School Board, and RPS Administration to develop a draft proposal for systemic collaboration between the City and RPS in support of children’s needs inside and outside of the classroom, known as

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the RVA Education Compact. Following an extensive public engagement process, a revised Compact agreement was presented to a joint meeting of Council and School Board on June 24 and a final version was enacted at a joint meeting on August 21. The Compact creates a collaborative process for better addressing the needs of schools and children in poverty, while also promoting transparency and accountability for all parties. The Richmond Children’s Cabinet began meeting in October, and other component parts of the Compact are expected to be launched in December.

6. Expanded Investment in Education, Youth Development and Community Wealth Building.

The Mayor’s proposed FY 2018 budget included a $6 million increase for Richmond Public Schools to support raises for teachers, the largest increase ever proposed by a Mayor in this system of government. The FY 2018 budget also effectively doubles the budget of the Office of Community Wealth Building through a combination of expanded local funding ($500,000) and a significant Virginia Department of Social Services grant ($1,982,866), targeted to supporting workforce development efforts led by the Center for Workforce Innovation. The Mayor’s Administration also is developing a comprehensive Youth Services Initiative and will be seeking funding to support it through both the FY 19 budget process and support from cross-sector partners.

7. Developing and Implementing Collaborative Strategy to Promote Public Safety and Fight Crime

In response to disturbing increases in the City’s homicide rate since 2016, with many tragic incidents concentrated in or near public housing communities, the City is developing and implementing a collaborative strategy to fight crime with multiple component parts: Focusing of resources by Richmond Police Department on high-crime areas; the installation of CCTV cameras in Mosby Court and permanent assignment of officers in Gilpin and Mosby Courts; investments in lighting, and the forthcoming acquisition of gunshot detection technology to promote both prevention and faster response times to incidents. (The new technology, currently in the procurement process, is expected to be in place by March 2018.) Richmond Police Department is also collaborating with the Commonwealth’s Attorney and Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority to proactively identify problems; and continued work to identify and address the root causes of violent crime in urban communities, through the upcoming Root Cause Crime Summit (a partnership between the Commonwealth’s Attorney and the City of Richmond) and the October 31 Housing Summit (which addressed strategies for building a new model of affordable housing in Richmond that both transforms existing neighborhoods and assures the needs of all current residents are met).

8. Improvements in Basic Services.

Mayor Stoney has emphasized more effective delivery of public services causing improvements in snow removal, leaf collection, the 311 call center operations, paving of more than 14 lane miles this fiscal year, concrete and brick sidewalk repair and replacement, a 98.8% on-time status in responding to bulk and brush requests, completing 23,697 pothole requests and more

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than 104 miles of alley maintenance in the first 10 months of 2017. Each day millions of gallons of reliable and safe drinking water are delivered to our homes and business and wastewater is taken away to be cleaned and returned to the James River. Property is protected from flooding and street lights keep roadways and intersections safe, and our environment is maintained to be free from pollution for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.

2. Portfolio and Agency-Specific Action Plans This section turns from Citywide initiatives to the everyday, essential work of city government that takes place day in and day out in the City’s agencies. For change to be effective and beneficial, it must be guided by clear vision and strategy. As part of the First Year Transition Plan, each agency has been given strategic priorities by the Stoney Administration. This section spells out portfolio-specific goals for improving performance for realizing the One Richmond vision for each agency.

Finance and Administration

Overview of Strategic Goals

strengthening the component parts of the Finance and Administration Portfolio is critical to improving the performance of the City as an organization. Key strategic goals for each agency within the portfolio are laid out below.

Department of Finance

Continue and complete rebuild of qualified staff; deliver all required financial reports on time beginning with the FY 2017 CAFR; improving processes to assure timely payment of invoices to vendors; increasing the percentage of tax revenues owed to the City actually collected through a variety of methods; implementing a strategy to return vacant and tax-delinquent properties to the tax roll to facilitate development and expand the tax base; develop a road map of financial policies to facilitate achievement of AAA bond rating; develop strategies to meet the facilities needs of Richmond Public Schools as well as other city agencies (via the Education Compact).

Department of Budget and Strategic Planning

Adopt best practice budgeting policies; upgrade budgeting software to improve process of constructing annual City budget; more tightly linking annual budget construction to strategic goals of administration including clear and transparent linkage of funding allocations to clearly established outcomes; participating in more collaborative budgeting process to address needs of schools through the Education Compact; strengthening capacity to obtain external grants, particularly in support of key priorities such as education and poverty reduction; continuing to provide timely reporting to City Council and responses to other requests for information from Council and the public.

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Department of Human Resources

Strengthen staff capacity to meet needs of agencies; streamline and shorten hiring process; develop Citywide recruitment and retention strategy of quality employees; strengthen internal job ladders; improve training and development programs for employees; implement reclassification recommendations; strengthen employee annual performance review to make it more useful and consequential (for both high and low performers); develop performance-based pay policies; update and implement all policies and procedures.

Department of Procurement Services

Strengthen staff capacity to better needs of agencies and facilitate more timely execution of projects; update and improve procedures to facilitate more timely execution of purchases, and apply processes consistently; work with agencies to assure much stronger understanding of processes among staff engaged in procurement activities; implement a P-card purchasing system (with appropriate safeguards) for smaller purchases; identify opportunities to achieve cost savings for the City through partnerships with state agencies or other mechanisms; promote equity and fairness in procurement processes; work with contractors to promote hiring of City residents through the City’s Center for Workforce Innovation through all legally available means; proactively promote minority businesses and other businesses committed to hiring Richmond city residents through all legally available means.

Department of Information Technology

Stabilize agency leadership; strengthen staff capacity to better meet agency needs; create position of Chief Information Officer to promote consistency of policies, software, hardware and data management across all agencies; invest in hardware needs and promote resiliency of systems and capacity to recover from disaster; cross-functional training of staff; involvement of DIT/CIO in significant agency-level purchases of software/hardware; addressing outstanding needs with implementation of the RAPIDS system.

Economic Development and Planning Portfolio Portfolio Overview of Strategic Goals

The Economic and Community Development Portfolio will in the next year undergo a significant reorganization aimed at better advancing the City’s goals for economic and community development. Specifically, the administration plans to create a department focused specifically on housing and community development issues. The new department will be the driving force for public housing transformation and East End revitalization, the City’s primary point of contact with RRHA at the operational level, and will lead development and implementation of a comprehensive housing strategy using some of the tools Richmond has already developed (such as the Affordable Housing Trust Fund) as well as new tools to promote a balanced and accessible housing stock that meets the needs of the City’s changing population.

This reorganization will also create a Department of Economic Development more tightly focused on business recruitment and retention according to specified, transparent criteria

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appropriate to a growing City. Specifically, the City will prioritize economic development recruitment leading to tangible job opportunities for City residents, especially residents living in or near poverty. This effort will build on the City’s competitive advantages (such as a favorable location) to continue to create a broad, diverse, and resilient economic base.

Finally, the reorganization may also lead to creating a unified division of transportation based within a single department. Staff working on transportation infrastructure issues are currently scattered across several departments. Formation of a separate transportation division based within a single department will strengthen the City’s capacity to address transportation issues holistically and effectively, and may also accelerate the permitting process for key projects.

A key near-term goal for the Administration is to stabilize leadership and to unify the entire portfolio around a common vision of inclusive economic and community development married to thoughtful stewardship of the City’s assets, informed by the Richmond 300 Master Plan process now underway. Establishment of clear, written policies guiding economic development incentives; use of tools such as community benefit agreements; and a commitment to aggressive inclusivity in connection with both minority business development and community wealth building will be crucial components of this vision.

In November 2017, Mayor Stoney announced an ambitious downtown redevelopment initiative, potentially involving redevelopment of the Richmond Coliseum and nearby properties. A Request for Proposals to advance this initiative was released on November 9, with responses due in February. The RFP articulates clear goals for inclusion, poverty reduction and local hiring and makes clear that existing revenue streams and debt capacity will not be devoted to the project.

Human Services Portfolio Overview of Strategic Goals

The Human Services portfolio encompasses over 800 employees, in five major divisions: the Department of Social Services, Department of Justice Services, Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities, Richmond Public Library, and the Office of the DCAO for Human Services. In addition, the portfolio works closely with the Richmond City Health District and the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, as well as with the Office of Community Wealth Building.

Mayor Stoney has charged the Human Services portfolio with developing a comprehensive strategic plan aimed at developing comprehensive pathway out of poverty, drawing on goals and tools established by the Office of Community Wealth Building as well as additional resources and tools in the portfolio. The goal is to build a seamless network of services that provide residents a viable pathway, to the degree possible, toward self-sufficiency. The agencies in Human Services interact with thousands of families, often in difficult circumstances: families seeking federal benefits (SNAP or TANF), families involved in the criminal justice system, families and children in crisis. Human Services also provides non-crisis, general services available to all residents through Richmond Public Library and Parks & Recreation.

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Navigating these different systems and programs is often challenging. Creating a more usable, effective system of services will require several key components: a strong collaborative case management model including data sharing so families can be tracked and better served across different agencies; improved communication on available resources and programs across agencies and better cooperation across such agencies; development of user-friendly educational and communications tools (including mobile applications) to alert residents to available services; working with families comprehensively to develop a holistic plan for progress and growth specific to the circumstances of each family; and making sure information on available resources and opportunities for economic progress are shared with residents at every point of contact. For instance, Parks and Recreation community centers should become hubs for providing families information about education and workforce development opportunities in the City, as well as robust programming sites for children and adults alike.

Equally important components of this work are promoting a positive, asset-based mindset across all agencies, based on shared understanding that the City’s goal is to help move 1,000 adults a year out of poverty; and providing stronger support and a better work environment for employees. Many front line workers in the Human Services agencies have heavy caseloads and experience high levels of stress in working with clients and participants experiencing crisis and trauma. Providing stronger support, training, professional development, upward career pathways and compensation, as well as more reasonable caseloads, will be critical to improving the quality of these vital jobs.

Finally, as Human Services implements its internal strategic vision, in alignment with the Office of Community Wealth Building and meeting the specific needs of each component agency, it also will continue to work in alignment with community partners in the nonprofit and public sector. Specifically, the Human Services portfolio will play a major role in implementation of the “whole child” approach of the Education Compact.

Office of Community Wealth Building Overview of Strategic Goals

As noted above, the Office of Community Wealth Building plays a unique role in city government. As a provider of workforce services, OCWB’s Center for Workforce Innovation will continue to strengthen connections in two directions: with the Human Services portfolio, with the aim of shepherding more residents receiving Human Services assistance into the workforce development pipeline; and with Economic Development, to play an integral role in recruitment of new firms committed to hiring City residents in or near the poverty level.

OCWB also has a broader mandate: to lead Richmond’s community-wide strategy for addressing the structural and systemic barriers that preclude low-wealth Richmond residents from securing or retaining employment. This entails providing holistic policy advice to the Mayor and CAO on poverty reduction strategies, and it entails leading a community-wide collective impact strategy for poverty reduction. As such the OCWB paradigm is intended not to be limited to just one agency, but to become part of the DNA of all City portfolios. In practical terms as well, OCWB will continued to play a role in initiatives on education (Education Compact), housing,

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transportation, and social enterprise development, to assure that these initiatives are informed by a community wealth building paradigm and directly benefit City residents in greatest need.

The key strategic goal for OCWB for this term is to help build the additional capacity to move 1,000 adults a year sustainably out of poverty, both through CWI and through related mechanisms, by 2020-21.1 This is a shared goal that necessarily involves both City agencies and the broader community. OCWB will continue to work closely with Human Services and community partners to develop and strengthen networks of providers capable of holistically guiding families to sustained economic success, a process that often takes up to two years or more. Achieving this goal necessarily involves embracing and supporting all movement along the Self-Sufficiency Matrix over the course of the year. (See Self-Sufficiency Matrix below.)

1 In any given year, many residents in Richmond move above the federal poverty line, while others fall below it. To make tangible progress towards reducing poverty 40% by 2030, an additional 1,000 residents a year must move above the line (or not fall back below the line), relative to the status quo. In other words, to move the needle on poverty may require moving more than 1,000 residents above the line in any given year, given that others may be falling back.

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Operations Portfolio Overview of Strategic Goals

Improved delivery of basic services is critical to improving citizen confidence in City Government and to improving quality-of-life for all residents. Key challenges in this portfolio include providing adequate staffing levels for core functions and training and support for employees; addressing internal management and human resources issues to improve workplace climate and employee morale; increasing transparency in fee structures while working to reduce the burden of utility and other payment on vulnerable low-income households; improving responsiveness to citizen requests for service; improved communication with residents; addressing long-term needs regarding fleet equipment and infrastructure; and educating City residents on the sustainable use of energy and water resources. Achieving improvements and enhanced professionalization of service will require both investments in core services and strong management and leadership within each unit to generate and/or sustain positive improvement.

Public Safety Overview of Strategic Goals The public safety agencies—Richmond Police Department, Richmond Fire and Emergency Services, the Department of Emergency Communications, and the Office of Emergency Management—must continue to work together and with community partners to enact an integrated public safety plan. Each agency within this portfolio has specific priority concerns: Department of Emergency Communications is working to continue enactment of a developed strategic plan while addressing priority concerns such as staffing levels at the 911 call center; Richmond Fire and Emergency Services, under new agency leadership, will be developing a new strategic direction aimed at achieving national accreditation as well as an ISO 1 rating, while working to address staffing, fleet and facilities needs; and Richmond Police Department is continuing to address recent upswings in violence, particularly in and around public housing communities, through a combination of crime response and prevention strategies, in concert with partners in other agencies. A common challenge across the portfolio is recruitment, compensation and retention of strong employees, who often have competing opportunities with neighboring localities or with the Commonwealth of Virginia. Improved use of technology and communications tools to continuously improve real-time responsiveness to events is another focal point across the portfolio.

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3. Cross-Functional Team Recommendations A key recommendation of the VCU Performance Review was the establishment of a cross-functional team to look at challenge inter-agency issues, especially related to improving communications and internal processes. This team was established in July 2017, led by Dr. Thad Williamson in the Mayor’s Office, and including staff members from Budget and Strategic Planning, Community Wealth Building, Economic and Community Development, Emergency Communications, Finance, Richmond Fire and Emergency Services, Human Services, Information Technology, Parks and Recreation, Planning and Development Review, Richmond Police Department, Public Utilities and Public Works. These advisory recommendations were presented to Mayor Stoney and the Chief Administrative Officer in September. The newly established Performance Management and Change unit, with continued guidance from the Cross Functional Team, will drive implementation of these recommendations over the next three years.

Improving Communications Sub-team:

Nicholas Feucht (ECD), M. Khara (DPW), Christina Mastroianni (OCWB), Jim Ryan (Finance), Matthew Welch (ECD), Ann-Marie Williams (PRCF).

Communications between agencies of the City of Richmond and between City agencies and the public was a recurrent theme cited in the VCU Performance Review.

Goal: The Communications sub-team was charged with identifying specific ways to improve how agency personnel communicate and work with one another, and how to build stronger appreciation and understanding between staff in different agencies. This sub-team also was charged with examining how to improve communications with the public and create a common standard of responsiveness to inquiries from the public.

Desired Outcome: More consistent, more professional internal and external communication to facilitate more efficient execution of the City’s work and better communication with City residents.

Recommendations

Internal Communications: 1. With a baseline set by the office of the CAO, each agency should clarify and update its

own written internal protocols for communications encompassing email communication, phone use, responsiveness, calendar management, etc.

2. The CAO’s office will monitor and oversee this process and implement appropriate steps to establish organization-wide norms and protocols.

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External Communications

1. Emergencies/Complaints a. Recommending a full evaluation of current processes, methods across City

Departments to determine what best practices are already in place b. Research best practices in the region

2. General (Non-Emergency/Mandated) Information a. Creation of a Public Information Officer housed within the CAO’s office.

Responsibilities would include: o General oversight and monitoring of all City Internal/External

Communications o Developing strategies around distribution of critical information within and

outside the city § Ex. Each agency should update its website and provide a brief strategic

overview that lists current staff and their specific area of responsibility.

o Developing guidelines for disseminating information and outlining procedures for all external e-communication (ex. website, FB and Twitter content).

§ Ex. Regular updates to all departmental websites required o Developing guidelines for disseminating information and outlining procedures

for all internal/external non web-based communication § Phone, person to person, agency to agency, public events

• Establish Citywide protocols/SOP’s for phone etiquette • Establish Citywide protocols/SOP’s for person to person

etiquette o Ensuring regular updates and ongoing training for all City staff, as necessary o Staying on top of new technologies or forms of media o Liaison with Department level PIO’s and/or designated staff o Liaison with OPS to assist with FOIA requests, media inquiries etc.

b. Create more proactive opportunities for the public to meet with City staff. i.e. Departmental office hours on a regular basis. Consider opening brown bag lunches with different departments to the public.

c. Support internal communication suggestions – a lot of external communication is helping guide the public through internal processes that sometimes feel like a maze!

d. Explore the possibility of City of Richmond Mobile APP o Customer service center o Utility Bill Payment o News & Events (press releases & upcoming events in and around Richmond) o Social Media

3. Legally Mandated

a. Recommending a full evaluation of current process, methods across all City Departments in which legally mandated communication applies

b. Research best practices in the region

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4. Branding a. Use the City logo and tagline on all mailings/flyers/paper distributed to the public and

at all public events b. Each department should have consistent branding – departments can be different from

each other, but they should be internally consistent (this allows for DPU, DPW, etc. to run their own identifiable programs).

c. Develop and promote the One Richmond Vision o Assure that the mission and vision statement of each agency is consistent with

One Richmond

5. Strategic Communications/Advancing the City’s Agenda a. Improve content and timeliness of briefs submitted to the Mayor and CAO

o Standardize with templates to guide departments o Celebrate and communicate success within the City and externally

§ Staff person could be awarded within the department with a public announcement and celebration

o Departmental updates should have success stories and anecdotal information for OPS as well as data heavy information for leadership

Recommended Types of Training and Specific Tools

1. Training/Educations Series a. Brown bag lunches in City Council Chambers for each agency to share its work with

other City employees. 2. Look at better use of technology

a. Hardware (computers, smartphones) b. Software (Internal Messaging) c. Cloud—project management tool and training

a. Basecamp b. Slack c. Share point d. Doodle Polls

3. Communication Skills Training a. Training in shared protocols and norms for everyday communication (telephone,

email, etc.)

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Improving Internal Services and Functional Processes Sub-team:

Members: Jackie Crotts (DEC), Shannon Paul (Budget and Strategic Planning), Maj. William Smith (RPD), Charles Todd (DIT), and Brian Turnage (RFES)

Goal: The Internal Services Sub-team was charged with identifying specific ways to improve internal processes impacting all agencies (especially core support functions), in order to provide an internal customer perspective on proposed changes and improvements in policies and procedures with an aim to promoting efficiency.

Desired Outcome: More efficient processes and service delivery.

SUBGROUP RECOMMENDATIONS & TIMEFRAMES

Short Term (ST) = up to 6 months; Mid Term (MT) = 6 months – 1 year;

Long Term (LT) = 1 year – 3 years

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

I. Implementation of standard-driven process improvement/ project management methodologies to address issues (framework of operations in the City)--LT

a. Define – the project goals and deliverables b. Measure – the process to determine current performance; quantify the problem c. Analyze – and determine the root causes d. Improve – the process by eliminating defects e. Control – future process performance

II. Collection and Review of Standards Citywide (Admin Regulations, Rules, Policies,

Processes, & Procedures) a. Inventory / index of all existing standards-ST b. Policies located in one place (USING Enterprise Wide Workflow Tools (Power

DMS or other tool) — MT-LT c. Immediate education / awareness / collection of critical support functions policies

(Finance and Administration Portfolio)—ST d. Identification of dedicated policy review and process improvement staff or

workgroup for longer-term work on I & II—ST e. Research & Analysis of Industry Best Practices (true peer localities)—ST f. Begin the standardization and update of policies, processes, and procedures-MT g. Visual representations of processes / procedures--LT h. Identification of gaps / problems--LT i. Eliminate unnecessary levels of bureaucracy--LT j. Revise / Re-engineer processes as necessary-LT k. Clearly defined process workflows-LT l. Compliance component requirements (not being allowed to circumvent the

process)-LT i. Escalation procedure documented

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III. Mandates for Standards Citywide (Administrative Regulations, Rules, Policies,

Processes, & Procedures) a. Clearly define each type of standard (approved by CAO)-ST b. Creation and maintenance of a “book of work” (projects)-MT-LT c. Institute a clearly defined, strategic, holistic, coordinated approach across

agencies-LT d. Annual audit to make sure agencies are adhering to guidelines-LT e. Requirements for Approval (what needs to be set at CAO, DCAO, Director

levels)-MT f. Within the standards documents, include positions that are accountable for

implementing the policy, process, etc.—ST-MT g. All standards published on the City’s website must be kept current—ST h. Adherence to best practices, recognized accreditation standards—LT i. Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Plans (including Rating & Ranking of

any system) with Emergency Management at the table (Citywide Issue and Recommendation)

j. Citywide Data & Records Management Plans-LT Review by each agency of applicable records retention plans and disposal of all unnecessary ones-MT

k. Service Level Agreements and Support Level Agreements on availability of all systems (system uptime)-MT-LT

IV. Utilization of Recommended Communications Practices to Implement & Sustain

Change-ST a. Communication about accountability b. Quarterly meetings for policy / process improvement teams

V. Culture Change-ST-MT-LT

a. Standards should allow for agencies to change to fit the environment in which they’re currently operating (especially technology)

i. Stop automating bad processes!!! b. Tactical and strategic plans for emerging needs (example: data storage) c. Within standardization, must allow common sense / employee discretion to play a

role (avoid micro management and rigidity)

VI. Conduct Follow-Up Assessment of Performance Review Recommendations a. Interviews with staff in departments to assess validity of recommendations b. Root cause analysis to identify sources of key problems c. Keep employees engaged in the process (soliciting feedback to preliminary

recommendations) d. Produce a fact-based, internal review follow-up document --LT

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4. Comprehensive Action Plan for Implementation This final section lists ten specific action steps speaking to the overarching policy and institutional reform goals of the Stoney Administration to be completed between November 1, 2017 and March 1, 2018. These action steps are in addition to the specific actions being undertaken by agencies and portfolios to address agency-specific issues noted by the Performance Review and/or the First Year Transition Plan.

Administration-Wide

1. By January 31, 2018, the City seeks to fill all remaining leadership positions in which interim directors or DCAOs are currently serving. These currently include the DCAO for Human Services and the Directors of Economic Development, Human Resources, Information Technology, Public Utilities, and Procurement Services.

Performance Review-Related

2. By November 30, all agencies will provide updates on key action items still outstanding from first year plan and Performance Review response, with monthly updates provided thereafter. Specific timelines and deadlines for all outstanding items will be established by December 15.

3. By December 1, The Mayor and CAO will assign one or more staff members to begin

implementation of steps defined by the Cross Functional Team noted above. A working timeline for implementation of defined steps over the course of 2018 will be established by January 1.

4. In the FY 2019 Budget, the Mayor will propose funding for a Performance Management

and Change division based within the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer. This unit (three employees) will work directly with the CAO and all agencies and portfolios to monitor implementation of the specific recommendations in this document and to continually update the plan to new circumstances.

(Note: Mayor Stoney has assigned CAO Selena Cuffee-Glenn and Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Thad Williamson to collaborate on items 2, 3, and 4 above.)

Education Compact, Housing, and Budget Process Related

5. The City of Richmond will successfully launch all phases of the Education Compact process by January 1, 2018, which will lead to the following deliverables by March 1, 2018:

• Development of an accountability framework for child-related budget requests • Consistent use of this framework by all agencies and partner agencies requesting funding

in FY 2019 • A proposal to fund the first phase (five years) of a Schools Facilities Plan, provided

School Board passes a plan involving right-sizing the number of schools in the district

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• A comprehensive Youth Services Initiative for expanding access to high-quality after-school and summertime opportunities to RPS students at all levels, with the goal of assuring access to all students by the 2019-2020 school year.

6. To address issues related to public housing and affordable housing in Richmond, the

Administration will by February 15, 2018 develop a plan to establish a dedicated funding stream to support the redevelopment of public housing in Richmond as well as needed support services for residents, and to reorganize the Economic Development and Planning Portfolio to create a new department focused primarily on housing matters. Initial discussions took place at the October 31 Housing Summit. This is a necessary step in a long-term plan to create a new model of affordable housing in Richmond while respecting and meeting the needs of current residents in RRHA communities.

7. To address ongoing issues of violent crime in the City of Richmond, by February 15,

2018 the City will develop an integrated crime reduction strategy addressing both immediate challenges and long-term preventive solutions, led by Richmond Police Department in collaboration with key partners such as the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority, Richmond Public Schools, and the City’s own agencies.

8. The City will establish a new Nondepartmental funding process to more clearly align

with City priorities. Specific RFPs will be developed focused on the following core needs and activities: Education; Housing, Human Services and Health; and Arts & Culture. All agencies receiving funds will be expected to meet a high standard of impact and accountability. The RFPs and revised process will be developed and publicized by November 8, 2017. (Note: Action completed.) ‘

9. All City agencies will relate FY 2019 budget requests to the goals articulated in the agency summaries developed this summer. All agencies must be able to clearly explain usage of funds, goals, metrics of success, and timelines for progress in making funding requests for existing programs as well as for new or expanded initiatives.

10. The Mayor’s proposed FY 2019 City budget will prioritize key needs identified by the Performance Review and this follow-up document, especially as related to addressing staffing needs citywide as well as identified needs in the core service departments of Human Resources, Finance, Procurement Services, and Budget.